


Checkmate

by stardustbytes



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Family Dynamics, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-19 22:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19364935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustbytes/pseuds/stardustbytes
Summary: Rumble and Frenzy join their first mission. Things don't go as planned... or do they?





	Checkmate

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I still love robots, I promise, hahaha 
> 
> This is something I wrote for a project a few friends were doing. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as planned, so I am sharing it here. I honestly have no brain left over after work today so I skimmed this to make sure nothing seemed horribly mistyped but otherwise I haven't read it in a few months so... here's hoping it's ok, lol

By the time of their first mission with Soundwave, Rumble and Frenzy had logged many more hours of training and prep than they had wanted. Being the youngest and least experienced of the team hadn’t deterred their enthusiasm in the least. In fact, they were so excited to  _ finally _ be in the field that Ravage kept snapping at them to keep cool or get booted.

 

A final chastisement from Soundwave quieted them all. The young twins took up their sentry points and watched Ravage and Soundwave slip into the Autobot communications hub they were trying to get intel from.

 

Frenzy sighed, tapping his fingertips against his kneeguard. “One day we’ll see  _ real _ action.”

 

“Yeah, maybe when you stop yankin’ Ravage’s tail,” Rumble muttered.

 

“What was that?”

 

“You heard me!” 

 

Frenzy grumbled, crossing his arms over his small chassis. “Ravage is moody as hell, you know that.”

 

“Exactly, he don’t need your help getting that way!” 

 

Before Frenzy could retort back, Rumble elbowed him hard in the side. “Hey — !” And then clapped a hand over his mouth.  _ ::What the hell?:: _ he demanded over a private comm.

 

Instead of replying, Rumble pointed. Entering the building below them was a mech sporting a familiar pair of doorwings. Praxian… Prowl!

 

The young twins glanced at each other. “Should we — ?”

 

“— yeah!”

 

Soundwave had instructed them to contact him with emergencies only… and Prowl wasn’t known as a formidable combatant to the Decepticons, despite being the Autobots’ best strategist. The two of them were more than equipped to take care of this.

 

They sprouted identical grins as they snuck down from their watch-spot. They would see  _ some _ action tonight after all! 

 

Following Prowl in was too easy; one advantage to being of their stature was how easily they were able to sneak around and get into otherwise inaccessible places, all without being noticed by mechs typically not looking down for others. For all that he was supposed to be on of the Autobots’ greatest minds, Prowl didn’t seem to notice them in the least. They slipped through the doors before they shut again and began tailing him through the shadows of the dark compound. Prowl strode  _ somewhere _ with purpose, though neither Rumble or Frenzy could tell; since they hadn’t planned on going in with Soundwave and Ravage, they hadn’t memorized the layout of this place.

 

Prowl rounded a corner, down a dead end hallway. Frenzy glanced at his twin. Too easy! He reached for his sidearm, as did Rumble, and they were ready to draw and capture Prowl when from behind — the dreadfully familiar whine of a blaster warming up.

 

Frenzy jumped, whirling around to point his own blaster at Jazz, emerging from one of the side rooms. Rumble kept his own pointed at Prowl as he cursed. “I think we’ve been played,” Frenzy muttered.

 

“You  _ think?! _ ” Rumble snapped off.

 

Were they in a less dire situation, this would have resulted in a bickering match, but Frenzy felt as though his spark had been doused in cold water. They should have just called Soundwave after all,  _ dammit. _

 

Behind him, Prowl spoke, adopting an almost bored tone. “Who are they supposed to be?”

 

Jazz tilted his head. “More of Soundwave’s munchkins, no doubt. Right?” The way he tipped his helm down again made it clear he was addressing Frenzy.

 

Frenzy scowled. “Why do you need us to tell you if you’re so flippin’ smart?” 

 

“Huh. Not the same manners as Ravage, though. Oh well.” Jazz shrugged, but he was careful to keep his weapon trained on Frenzy. “If you’re around, then Soundwave’s here somewhere, ain’t he?”

 

Both Frenzy and Rumble remained uncharacteristically silent.

 

“Don’t bother calling to him for help, he won’t be able to get to you once we initiate the lockdown — ” Prowl’s smug voice was cut off with a curse, the sound of a scuffle, and a whooping cheer from Rumble. 

 

Frenzy couldn’t help himself; he turned to look. Prowl had staggered, wrestling with a dark form that had pounced upon his helm. Ravage! Despite their earlier complaining, there was no one Frenzy could feel happier to see in this moment, with the exception of Soundwave.

 

“Get  _ off _ !” Prowl grunted, his doorwings flailing wildly.

 

“Stop gawking!” Ravage growled. The twins jolted; they both looked back and saw Jazz distracted, his blaster noncommittally following the struggle; clearly he didn’t want to get a bad shot and hit Prowl instead. 

 

Frenzy didn’t need to be told twice. He holstered his sidearm and took off down the hallway, Rumble close at his side letting out an idiot giggle. He didn’t keep it up for long; the sound of laser fire echoing after them made it clear that Ravage had abandoned his tussle with Prowl and slipped away once again. With his dark plating and stealth coating, the felinoid appeared to simply melt into the shadows. Except, of course, that he was running alongside them before long — Ravage  _ was _ the fastest as well. 

 

“Should I even ask what possessed you two to follow him in here?”

 

Neither Rumble nor Frenzy answered, but they were spared more fussing from their older counterpart by Soundwave’s arrival. Thank  _ Primus _ . 

 

“Boss!” the pair of them cried out. 

 

Despite the approaching laser fire, Soundwave risked opening the deck on his chest. “Rumble, Frenzy: return,” he commanded. Frenzy never felt so eager to fold into his cassette form and return to safety, to the warmth of Soundwave’s spark sustaining him. Tucked so close to Rumble, he could feel the same from his twin, the content radiating from his EM field.

 

From there, they perceived the action mostly by way of sensor. Ravage continually darting out of the shadows to flank Prowl and Jazz, and Soundwave an immovable object in front of them. Or at least, for as long as it took to get them clear; the Autobots had tried their lockdown and from the sounds of it, Soundwave had easily hacked through. Frenzy pulsed triumph and pride through his field; it radiated twice as strong with Rumble joining in, spreading the warmth through Soundwave’s chassis long after he got them safely away.

 

Still a few more moments were spent making sure they were all truly clear and safe from any Autobot chasers until Soundwave opened up his chest again and they tumbled gracelessly from the confines of his deck.

 

“Boss!” Rumble said again, scrambling to his feet. Frenzy was quick behind him, but they were both unusually still once they got right-footed. Normally they were a whirlwind when Soundwave completed a mission, bombarding him with questions and begging to be a part of it next time. For both of them to stand there quietly was almost… gloomy.

 

Soundwave tilted his helm. “Rumble, Frenzy — status?”

 

The twins glanced at each other and then back up at Soundwave. “Huh?”

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“Are  _ we _ alr— Are  _ you _ alright?” Frenzy said.

 

“Yeah,” Rumble agreed. “They didn’t get you, right?” Neither of them had felt any pain from Soundwave while docked, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. 

 

“Soundwave: not injured,” he replied. He peered at them curiously. “Why are you upset?”

 

“Because — Because we messed things up!” Rumble blurted.

 

“Explain.”

 

“ _ Explain? _ ” Frenzy repeated. “We didn’t tell you about seeing Prowl and tried to involve ourselves and then you had to abandon the mission and the intel to come save us!” 

 

Soundwave let out a short laugh, though it was echoed as Ravage finally emerged from the shadows and wound his way through Soundwave’s legs. “Oh little ‘bots,” the felinoid teased. “We knew they were there — I know how to set a perimeter!”

 

The larger mech knelt to get more on the level of his symbionts. “We suspected Autobots were trying to entrap us,” he said. “Soundwave: succeeded anyway.” He pulled a data chit from his subspace, his visor glinting with the flare of his optics. 

 

Ravage chuckled. “Always playing games.”

 

Soundwave tilted his helm. “Always  _ winning _ games.”

 

Rumble and Frenzy peered at each other, grinning as twin bubbles of elation burst through their fields. They jumped into his arms with cries of  _ “Boss! _ ” and  _ “You’re the coolest! _ ”. Usually either Soundwave or Ravage would chastise them to stay quiet in case Autobots were still lurking about, but for now the young twins were just allowed to carry on.


End file.
